|
This module surveys the fascinating world of ancient Greece—its mythology, geography, literature, politics and history. The first part of the module will explore major myths of the Greek gods and heroes, particularly those involving the many-facetted figure of Odysseus, protagonist of Homer’s Odysseus (to be read in English translation). Homer’s epic introduces aspects of early Greece, with its emerging city-states, Mediterranean colonies, warfare, temples, religious festivals and athletic competitions. The second half of the module turns to the history and cultural politics of the equally influential Classical Period: the rise of militaristic Sparta, the development of democracy in Athens, and their joint defeat of the Persian Empire in key battles like Marathon and Thermopylae. Here political and military history is integrated with attention to Greek social values to round off a holistic introduction to the civilization that has remained in many ways the foundation of Western culture.
|